Driving the Alcan
Photos & Story by Carmen
The Plan
"Why don't you come down and drive up the Alcan Highway with me?" my sister June asked. She was planning to leave Albuquerque on Friday, May 28th and arrive in Anchorage (3,955 miles away) on Monday, May 31st. An ambitious and adventurous plan, to say the least. I love road trips, but I wasn't sure since Memorial Day weekend is busy for those of us in the Alaska visitor industry.
A week before her adventure began, I suggested a compromise: "Let's meet in Montana. I'll drive the rest of the way with you." The day I left, the weather in Anchorage was gorgeous, calling for a high of 75°. June called me as I waited for my flight out of Ted Stevens International Airport -- she was hitting the road shortly before I boarded my flight. By the time I landed in Seattle, she was north of Denver. I spent a fun afternoon with a friend, shopping and eating, while June drove through Wyoming. We were to meet at the Motel 6 in Great Falls, chosen for their dog-friendly policies since she had her two dogs with her. It was cold and rainy in Great Falls. By the time I was settled at the motel, near midnight, June was in Billings.
Snow in summer?
Fortunately, I fell sound asleep or I would have been frantic with worry as the hours passed and June did not arrive. She and the pups finally dragged in about 6 am, stressed and exhausted from crawling slowly through a blizzard while crossing the continental divide. Through a what? In 
the summer? We tried to sleep but couldn't so we hit the road again. All that day we stared in amazement as we drove through many areas with snow on the ground. I kept assuring her that it would get warm if we could just get further north. Wait, there's something wrong with this picture!
After a luxurious night's rest in Red Deer, Alberta, we awakened to more ice and snow, ready to drive on through to Anchorage. Beyond Edmonton, the weather and the scenery slowly improved. (My apologies to Alberta, but I fancy mountains over prairies.) The highlight of the drive through Alberta was a stop in Claresholm, where the washrooms (as they say in Canada) were located in the museum. The charming volunteer at the museum persuaded us to take time for a quick tour of the displays which had just been set up the week before.
On the Alcan
Dawson Creek, British Columbia is the official start (Mile 0) of the Alcan Highway. When we arrived late in the afternoon it was blessedly warm and sunny, something for which we had a new appreciation.
Beyond Ft. Nelson, the highway enters the Rocky Mountains. We were glad we'd left the ice and snow behind for the steep grades on this portion of the road.
As is often the case, there were stone sheep on the highway at Stone Mountain. We'd hoped for a swim at Liard Hot Springs but the park was closed by the time we passed near midnight. We had one bad moment as we searched for an all-night gas station June remembered near Watson Lake, just inside the Yukon Territory. It never quite got dark, so we were able to enjoy the scenery as we drove on through the night.
Breakfast in Whitehorse
After breakfast in Whitehorse, we were on more familiar ground. Between Haines Junction and the border, the road had many annoying frost heaves, a common problem for highways built in permafrost areas. Smoke from a forest fire near Tok was blowing away from us, and by mid-afternoon we turned off the Alcan onto the Slana-Tok Cutoff. At Glennallen, we turned on to the Glenn Highway and by 10 pm Monday we were in Anchorage, just as scheduled.
Stop and Smell the Roses
If you ever have an opportunity to drive the Alcan Highway, I hope you'll take it. It's a wonderfully varied and beautiful drive. And while it is possible to cover a thousand miles a day, I'd recommend that you stop and enjoy all that the countryside has to offer on the way.